A big boat stood outside a house near Bardills Island in Stapleford for years and was a landmark for many, telling them they were nearly back home. But the famous yacht outside a house on Toton Lane has now disappeared, and it's owner says it will not be coming back.
Paul Dunkley bought the yacht around 10 years ago, and bought it as a project boat as it needed work doing to it. The 61-year-old brought it all the way from the Isle of Wight and parked it outside his home.
Someone else had already started renovating it and Paul, who works in the aviation industry, wanted to finish it to travel the world in. He wanted to put it in the garage, but very quickly realised it would not fit, so parked it on the garden outside his home.
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It stood there for 10 years, and became a popular local landmark. But on Monday (April 4), the famous yacht was taken away to its new home on Redhill Marina, which is near East Midlands Parkway. Despite members of the Stapleford Community Group begging for that boat to return, Paul says it will not come back.
Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, he said: "It's in a storage facility at Redhill Marina, but I do hope to finish renovating it one day, it's so sad when you see boats dumped. It won't be coming back here though. I was surprised there have been no negative comments, no-one saying 'thank god it's gone' and kids have been in tears. People used to say about turning left at the boat, and would see it as a landmark.
"I've had various people asking how I would launch it from here, and the standard answer is from the top of a hill waiting for the floods to come and the animals can come in two-by-two. One of my friends made a Noah's Ark sign when I first got it and put it outside my house.
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"I was looking for something to replace it, but we've just bought next door and we hope to move into that, so I'm going to put it back to a garden. You can't sell a house with a boat outside it.
"My neighbours have been absolutely fine with it, they haven't batted an eyelid. I've had people living around here saying to me they'll never get their curry delivered now as they won't know where to find them."
The boat itself was built in Bedford in 1985 and is a Classic 45 ocean going cruising yacht, of which around eight were built. Paul has bought a number of boats, and recently restored a storm damaged yacht. He owns six in total now, having at one point owned eight.
Paul said: "I've always been into boats and yachting, and I bought it for my retirement plan, as I want to sail around the world. I worked on it for about 3 years, as it was an empty shell with no roof. I built rooms inside the boat too. I knew it would be a long project and it would take several years, but I never finished it because I bought another boat.
"I've never had the drive to do it, which is a shame as I could end up selling it. People have said I'll never finish it, and I told them I will, so you never know."
Paul's neighbours on Toton Lane have said it has never caused them problems. One went as far as saying he is going to miss it.
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Brian Topham, 77, said: "It's never bothered me, I was very happy with it. I'm going to miss it. It was easy for people to find me as I said I lived near the house with the boat and people never had any problems."
Mick Hempshall, 73, said: "It's very sad, we always said we were in a house up from the boat. Everyone who walked past used to turn and look at it. It was an eyesore, but we got used to it."
Wife Olga Hempshall, 69, said: "I've never known such fuss over a boat! I remember our son's girlfriend completely missed it, and she said that she only had eyes for our son."
Councillor Richard MacRae, independent councillor for Stapleford, said: "Everybody knows about it. It's been there for years. I've seen some people claim it's been there since 1987 but I know that's not the case. It was there one day and now it's not."
